Maya Angelou is an American author who wrote the book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which is her autobiography.
Summary of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Maya and her brother Bailey are sent to live in Stamps, Arkansas with their grandmother, who they called “Momma,” and their Uncle Willie. Momma is a very strong independent woman who doesn't take anything from anyone. She teaches Maya and Bailey how to respect their elders and live their lives the way God would want them to. They were sent to live there because their parents were getting a divorce. Maya leads a normal life of a young southern black girl. She deals with all the discrimination and racism in the South. She and her family go to church regularly and Momma is a very strict religious woman. One day, however, Maya and Bailey's father Bailey Sr. comes for a visit. After staying for a few days Bailey Sr. reveals that he is intending to take the children to live in St. Louis with their mother Vivian.
In St. Louis, Maya and Bailey live with their mother and her boyfriend Mr. Freeman. During these times when Mother was away Mr. Freeman would molest and later rape Maya. When Mother and and the rest of Maya's family found out about the rape they took the case to court. In court Maya says that the rape was her fault because she was afraid she had brought it on. So, Mr. Freeman was free. Later, Mr. Freeman was found dead in an abandoned lot. She felt this was her fult because she talked about what happened. So, she decided that she could no longer talk to anyone other than Bailey. She did not speak for over three years.
Maya and Bailey were sent back to Arkansas to live with Momma. Maya still would not talk for months until a neighborhood woman Mrs. Flowers brings Maya to her house and gives her books of poems to read and memorize. She tells Maya that she wants her to memorize one and recite it to her. This worked and Maya started talking again and came out of her shell and became more like the girl she once was. While in Stamps, Maya rediscovers racism. Momma and Maya were going to a dentist that owed her a favor so she thought he would help her out becasue Maya had a toothache. When they arrived at the dentist's office, Momma explained her problem and how she needed help. She reminded him of the favor he owed her, but he still wouldn't see them, he said that he would "rather stick his hand in a dogs mouth rather than a "n*'s".
Eventually, Momma decides than Maya and Bailey need to get out of Stamps. So, she takes them out to California to live with their mother. During this time Maya is afraid she is becoming a lesbian and decides that she needs a boyfriend. So, when she walks past a boy on the street that she knows and he says hello. She casually asks “Would you like to have sexual intercourse with me?” and he agrees. Later Maya finds herself pregnant. She manages to go through eight and a half months of pregnancy without her mother noticing and graduates from high school. She gives birth to her baby, but she is not confident that she can be a good mother. But her mother puts her to a test. She comes in Maya's room in the middle of the night and brings the baby with her and she lays the baby on Maya's bed. She is afraid that she will crush him but her mother tells her to just be quiet and go to sleep. When her mother shakes her gently to wake her up, she immediately was awake and thought something happened to the baby. But, when she looked down, the baby was laying on her stomach with her arm across the baby. She now knew from this incident that everything was going to be okay and that she could do this.
This book describes America by taking a look at racism. With all of the advances that America as a country has made it is hard to believe that so much blind hate existed only a few decades ago. In the book, when a black man was found dead in a pond, a white police officer got him out and then just put him in the back of a train with a bunch of prisoners. The cop didn't even think he was important enough to be given the respect of his own place. This shows how much racism is in America, even today. We don't see it as much now as then, but it's still there. America at that time was very segregated and was portrayed through an African American's eyes. She was a very curious, bright young girl and didn't understand how and why things happened.
Maya Angelou describes herself in this book because it is about her and she wants the readers to know what she went through. She describes how racial discrimination and the difficulties of finding herself while she's growing up affected her and her life. From the time when she was little even until she was in her late teen years she did not understand why the whites hated them so much. She was young, naive and didn't know any better. When she asked Momma why they hated them so, Momma replied "they're just scared."
In "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", Maya Angelou uses a lot in the way of setting. This story takes place in the early 1970's, and starts out in Stamps, Arkansas, where her and her brother live with their grandmother who they call mama. The children live there for about 5 years while their parents are going through a divorce. Then the children decide to go and live with their mother and her boyfriend, Mr.Freeman in St. Louis.
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is an American author who wrote the book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which is her autobiography.
Summary of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Maya and her brother Bailey are sent to live in Stamps, Arkansas with their grandmother, who they called “Momma,” and their Uncle Willie. Momma is a very strong independent woman who doesn't take anything from anyone. She teaches Maya and Bailey how to respect their elders and live their lives the way God would want them to. They were sent to live there because their parents were getting a divorce. Maya leads a normal life of a young southern black girl. She deals with all the discrimination and racism in the South. She and her family go to church regularly and Momma is a very strict religious woman. One day, however, Maya and Bailey's father Bailey Sr. comes for a visit. After staying for a few days Bailey Sr. reveals that he is intending to take the children to live in St. Louis with their mother Vivian.
In St. Louis, Maya and Bailey live with their mother and her boyfriend Mr. Freeman. During these times when Mother was away Mr. Freeman would molest and later rape Maya. When Mother and and the rest of Maya's family found out about the rape they took the case to court. In court Maya says that the rape was her fault because she was afraid she had brought it on. So, Mr. Freeman was free. Later, Mr. Freeman was found dead in an abandoned lot. She felt this was her fult because she talked about what happened. So, she decided that she could no longer talk to anyone other than Bailey. She did not speak for over three years.
Maya and Bailey were sent back to Arkansas to live with Momma. Maya still would not talk for months until a neighborhood woman Mrs. Flowers brings Maya to her house and gives her books of poems to read and memorize. She tells Maya that she wants her to memorize one and recite it to her. This worked and Maya started talking again and came out of her shell and became more like the girl she once was. While in Stamps, Maya rediscovers racism. Momma and Maya were going to a dentist that owed her a favor so she thought he would help her out becasue Maya had a toothache. When they arrived at the dentist's office, Momma explained her problem and how she needed help. She reminded him of the favor he owed her, but he still wouldn't see them, he said that he would "rather stick his hand in a dogs mouth rather than a "n*'s".
Eventually, Momma decides than Maya and Bailey need to get out of Stamps. So, she takes them out to California to live with their mother. During this time Maya is afraid she is becoming a lesbian and decides that she needs a boyfriend. So, when she walks past a boy on the street that she knows and he says hello. She casually asks “Would you like to have sexual intercourse with me?” and he agrees. Later Maya finds herself pregnant. She manages to go through eight and a half months of pregnancy without her mother noticing and graduates from high school. She gives birth to her baby, but she is not confident that she can be a good mother. But her mother puts her to a test. She comes in Maya's room in the middle of the night and brings the baby with her and she lays the baby on Maya's bed. She is afraid that she will crush him but her mother tells her to just be quiet and go to sleep. When her mother shakes her gently to wake her up, she immediately was awake and thought something happened to the baby. But, when she looked down, the baby was laying on her stomach with her arm across the baby. She now knew from this incident that everything was going to be okay and that she could do this.
This book describes America by taking a look at racism. With all of the advances that America as a country has made it is hard to believe that so much blind hate existed only a few decades ago. In the book, when a black man was found dead in a pond, a white police officer got him out and then just put him in the back of a train with a bunch of prisoners. The cop didn't even think he was important enough to be given the respect of his own place. This shows how much racism is in America, even today. We don't see it as much now as then, but it's still there. America at that time was very segregated and was portrayed through an African American's eyes. She was a very curious, bright young girl and didn't understand how and why things happened.
Maya Angelou describes herself in this book because it is about her and she wants the readers to know what she went through. She describes how racial discrimination and the difficulties of finding herself while she's growing up affected her and her life. From the time when she was little even until she was in her late teen years she did not understand why the whites hated them so much. She was young, naive and didn't know any better. When she asked Momma why they hated them so, Momma replied "they're just scared."
In "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", Maya Angelou uses a lot in the way of setting. This story takes place in the early 1970's, and starts out in Stamps, Arkansas, where her and her brother live with their grandmother who they call mama. The children live there for about 5 years while their parents are going through a divorce. Then the children decide to go and live with their mother and her boyfriend, Mr.Freeman in St. Louis.
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